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PHILIPP BOCH, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO JOHN D. STRAHMANN AND CHARLES HERRMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 601,049, dated March 22, 1898.

. v.Application filed'June 25, 1897. r Serial No. 642,247. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP? Boon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic switches adapted for use on railroads and cable-roads; and its object is to produce an automatic switch which will be certain in its action and which can be operated from the car while traveling in either direction.

The invention consists of an automatic switch constructed of a switch-plate, a switchbar tongue connected thereto, a link working in a slot in the end of the switch-bar,A and a switch connected by said link with the switchbar, a striking-arm pivoted to the under side of the car and adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the switch-plate, so as to rotate the same.

The invention consists, further, of various details of construction hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a top view of the automatic switch vmechanism applied to an ordinary street-railroad and showing the operating mechanism of the car, the body of which is shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the car and the road, showing the switch mechanisrn and the operating mechanism-of the car. Figs. 3 and 4 are details in elevation, showing the switch in its open and closed position. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a top view of the automatic switch applied to a cable-road. Fig. 7 is a verti cal longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section through line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a top View of a detail of a modication. Fig. 10 is a detail of a further modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a car carrying the switch-operating mechanism. To th'e front and rear of the carA are arranged suitable hand-operated levers, three dierent forms of which are shown, but which for convenience are similarly lettered a a.

v.by the arm c as the car passes.

The hand-levers are suitably connected with rods b b', which are guided in ways upon the under side of the car and are pivotally connected to arms c c', which are pivoted to a supporting-frame beneath the car-body. These arms c c are so shaped that when the hand-levers are in their normal position the arms are raised above the tracks, but when the levers are operated the arms turn on their pivots and the lower edge thereof descends, so as to strike the switch-plate E, and thus operate the switch.

The mechanism above described is shown as secured to the under side of the car and at the outer edges thereof; butit is obvious that these striking-arms could be located more or less toward the center of the car, thus rendering unnecessary the use of so large a switchplate as that shown.

In Fig. 2 the car is shown as provided at one end with hand-levers constructed of a straight bar pivoted near its center to the front of the car and at the lower end to the rods b b', and at the other end of the car is shown a rotary-acting hand-lever having a pinion at its lower end meshing with a toothed rack on the rod l), while at the other side of this end of the car is shown, a rotary-acting hand-lever provided at its lower end with a disk having a projecting lug which engages an opening in the rod b'.- The projecting portion E of the switch-plate E is shown overlapping the iiange of the rail at one side of the track where it is in position to be struck The projecting portion E is so arranged that when it lies in the path of the arm c on one side of the track the other side of the track is clear, as shown in Fig. 1 This projecting portion E may be of the form shown in Fig. 1, or it may be in the form of a lug or tooth or of a bar secured to said switch-plate, the ends of which project beyond the periphery of the switchplate, as shown in Fig. 10. The switch-plate E is provided upon its under side with a shaft e, upon the end of which is a toothed wheel e', which engages the toothed portion f of a switch-bar F, situated beneath the road-bed. The opposite end of the switch-bar Fis offset IOO f2 of the switch-bar F.

or curved at f', :Ls shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and is provided with a similarly-curved slot f2, the sides of which may be connected, if preferred, for the sake of strength by a partition. (Not shown.) It is obvious that instead of :L curved slot two straight disconnected slots may be employed. The only requisite is that the two slots must be inclined toward each other, so as to give the proper throw of the lilik G. A link G, having at one end a lug g, which projects into the slet f2, works on the under side of the switch-bar F. At the opposite end of the link Gis provided a squared orifice g@ into which is secured the squared end of :L shaft 7L of the switch-tongue Il. rIhis shaft 7L projects up through the slot By this construction when the switch-plate E is struck by one of the arms c c' it is partially revolved and the toothed wheel e' is also revolved, thus advancing or reti-acting the switch-bar F. This movement causes the turning of the link G by means of the lug g working in the slot f2, and the switch-tongue II is thus thrown into its open or closed position, as shown in Figs. 3 and I. The switch-bar F may be operatively connected with the shaft e of the switchplate Il in any suitable manner other than that shown-as, for example, by means of :L direct pivotal connection therewith, :Ls shown in Fig. 9, such changes being so obvious that, like those hereinbefore mentioned, no particular illustration is deemed necessary, and is therefore omitted for the sake of brevity.

Then the invention is to be applied to a cable-road, it is only necessary to provide two switch-plates, which may be of smaller size and located one on each side of the grip-slot, as shown in Fig. G. Each of these switchplates .I J' is provided with a shaftjj, which extend down below the cable and are connected by a cross-barjZ, in which the extremities of the shafts are journaled. Fixed to the shaftsjj are lever-arms K K', which are pivoted to a connecting-link K2. In other particulars the construction and operation are substantially the same as that hereinbefore described.

Asa further modification, the switch-bar F may be pivoted directly to the switch-plate E, as shown in Fig. 9.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In an automatic switch, the combination with :L car provided with a switch-actuating mechanism, of a switch-plate adapted to be rotated by the switch-actuating mechanism, a switch-bar operated by said switch-plate, and provided with an inclined slot, a switchtongue provided with a shaft extending through said slot, and :L link iixed to the extremity of the said shaft and provided with :L lug engaging said slot, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic switch, the combination with a car provided with a switch-actuatin g mechanism, of a rotatable switch-plate provided with an extension adapted to be struck by the switch-actuating mechanism, a shaft fixed to said switch-plate, a switch-bar connected at one end to said shaft and adapted to be moved longitudinally thereby and provided with a curved slot at the other end, :L switch-tongue provided with :L shaft passing through said slot, and a link fixed to the extremity of said shaft and having a lug engaging said slot, substantially as set forth.

3. In :Ln automatic switch for cable-cars, the combination with a car provided with a switch actuating mechanism, of rotatable switch-plates located one on each side of the grip-slot and each provided with :L projection adapted to be struck by the said switch-actuating mechanism, :L longitudinaliy-movablc switch-rod connected with said switch-plates and provided with a curved slot, a switchtongue having a shaft extending through said slot, and a link fixed to the end of said shaft and provided with a lug engaging said slot, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PIIILIIP BOCH. lVitnesses:

CHARLES IIERRMANN, GEO. W. JAEKEL.

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